Leicester 6-0 Ipswich: Match Report

17 November 2012 05:31

Nigel Pearson watched Leicester stroll to a 6-0 victory over Ipswich and halt a four-match league run without a win in style at the end of a week which marked the one-year anniversary of his return as manager.

Wednesday was 12 months to the day since Pearson came back to City, having previously been in charge between June 2008 and June 2010 before leaving to take over at npower Championship rivals Hull.

Last November, Leicester won 3-0 at home against Crystal Palace in Pearson's first game back after rejoining the club from the Tigers, and he saw his side double that tally against a poor Ipswich team.

Four goals came in the first half. David Nugent opened the scoring from the penalty spot after eight minutes and doubled Leicester's lead with his second strike 10 minutes later.

The superb Lloyd Dyer got on the scoresheet just before the half-hour mark and Anthony Knockaert netted two minutes before the break.

Martyn Waghorn scored another for the Foxes shortly after half-time and substitute Marko Futacs completed the rout in the 82nd minute.

Leicester were unchanged from the side that drew 2-2 at home with Nottingham Forest last Saturday, meaning teenage striker Jeff Schlupp continued to deputise for the injured Paul Konchesky at left-back.

Striker Jamie Vardy returned from injury to fill the place on the bench left by midfielder Neil Danns, who has joined Bristol City on loan.

Fit-again Foxes midfielder Richie Wellens, who has just returned from a loan spell at Ipswich, did not make Pearson's squad.

Lee Martin returned from suspension to replace Wellens in the Town team as one of two changes made by manager Mick McCarthy, who handed Bradley Orr his debut.

Orr, signed on loan from Blackburn on Wednesday, came in at right-back with Tommy Smith dropping to the bench and Luke Chambers switching to centre-half.

Kelly Youga was also signed by McCarthy this week on a short-term deal until January but the defender was not involved.

Ipswich made a sloppy start. Hesitancy between Stephen Henderson and Orr saw neither take command following Danny Drinkwater's throughball, resulting in the goalkeeper bringing down the alert Dyer inside the area. Nugent converted the spot-kick with aplomb.

Aaron Cresswell did well to block a goalbound shot from Andy king before Nugent struck again.

Henderson could then only parry Waghorn's fierce shot into the path of Nugent, who got his reward for following up by chesting the ball home from close range.

Leicester were playing dome lovely football and it only seemed a matter of time before they got another goal.

It was, and it arrived after 27 minutes courtesy of Dyer.

The winger gave Orr a torrid time down the left, beating him with pace before firing a powerful shot past Henderson and into the far corner of the net from 15 yards out.

Nugent was denied the chance of a hat-trick when he was replaced by Vardy after only half an hour, carrying some sort of knock.

But Knockaert was not to be denied and swept home Dyer's first-time cross from 12 yards in the 43rd minute.

Luke Chambers headed over in a rare Ipswich attack at the start of the second half and Waghorn missed the target with a header at the other end.

However, the England Under-21 international striker got on the scoresheet after 53 minutes, curling the ball past Henderson after being put through by King.

King slipped another clever pass past the Ipswich defence midway through the second half but Henderson was up to the task of saving Vardy's attempted dink over him.

More brilliance from Dyer down the left saw Futacs, on as a 74th-minute replacement for Waghorn, score his first league goal for the Foxes. The Hungarian made it 6-0 with a lovely first-time finish from 12 yards out.

Ipswich thought they had a consolation goal when substitutes Michael Chopra and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas combined but Chopra's strike was ruled out by an offside flag.